Thalia felt her heart rate increase with every step she took in the forest, but she loved the thrill. The morning's cold air bit her face, and the smell of the different plants in the forest—along with the sounds of animals—freed her from all her worries and problems.
The previous day had been quite uneventful, save for the continuous reassurances to her uncle and Mia that she was totally fine, and then the elders' visit. She did not really like them, but at least respected them—especially Lucas, who had been of great help telling her the roles of a Luna and sternly assuring her that a Luna could be independent of an Alpha. In that moment, she had felt like a toddler being encouraged to walk again after her first fall. But she had liked it.She continued running through the narrow forest path until her new home came into view—yes, it was now her home. As Luna of the pack, she could no longer stay in the pack house, and being rejected, she could not live with the Alpha. But she liked her home already: two bedrooms, a sitting room, and a well-equipped, well-stocked kitchen. As icing on the cake, it was close to the forest but still had enough ground for a small garden, if she ever felt motivated enough. It was isolated from the pack by at least a two-hour run—even for a mature male wolf—which she was thankful for. Only the goddess knew how much she hated crowds. She also knew it was Cornelius' way of making the pack forget they had ever had a Luna or even held an unsuccessful mating ceremony. She rolled her eyes at this attempt as her jog eventually slowed into a light stroll.
Thalia's smile faded immediately when she noticed a strange guy with a thick mop of blonde hair peeking nervously through her slightly open door. His rich blonde hair flowed freely to his shoulders, and his lean, boyish frame made her guess he was an Omega. She picked up no scent from him, and he hadn't sensed her until she was right behind him.
"How may I help you?" she inquired in a monotonous voice. He yelped a little, then quickly composed himself and replied with an innocent smile, "My name is Casten Grey, and I was sent to be your assistant."
"Are you really that witless to be sent to a rejected mate?" she asked lightly, but when she saw his smile fade and his innocent eyes go sad, she realized she had struck a nerve. To lighten the mood, she added with a playful smile, "Come on in, at least I have some coffee and bacon."
Casten immediately smiled and followed her in. As they settled down for breakfast, Thalia realized that Casten was easy to please—he chewed enthusiastically and started rambling on about his likes and dislikes like they'd known each other for months, not minutes. She concluded he wouldn't be bad to keep around.
When coffee was done, Thalia asked, "So what exactly is the reason for your early morning visit?"
At that, it was like a switch had flipped. The chatty Casten was replaced by a more serious and business like version of himself. He told her about a lone wolf in the woods, just a thirty-minute walk from her home, who had been requesting the Alpha's audience for a while now, but in vain.
"Do we know what exactly he wants to tell Cornelius?" Thalia asked.
Casten visibly flinched at the mention of the Alpha's name, then replied, "No one has ever bothered to spare him a glance."
Thalia nodded and stood. Without waiting for instruction, Casten rose too and followed her. On the walk, they exchanged what little they knew about the lone wolf—many rumours had been said, but few had seen him. Casten proved to know more than Thalia and even mentioned his name: Kyle.
When they reached the small cottage, the sun was already high. Thalia was surprised to find the place surrounded by flowers, creating a homely feel despite being deep in the forest. The scents in the air told her they weren't the only visitors. They crossed the compound and, upon reaching the small entrance, Casten said, "Guess I'll wait for you here."
Thalia looked at him quizzically. He added, trying to mask the sadness behind a smile, "I'm an Omega, so I can't be in the same room with the Alpha unless he personally bids me."
She nodded understandingly and proceeded inside alone.Inside, her eyes were involuntarily drawn to Cornelius. She remained calm and looked at him without emotion.
Cornelius sat nonchalantly on one of the two faded brown couches and made no effort to acknowledge her presence. Unfazed, Thalia turned to the two broad-shouldered men laughing loudly across from Cornelius. "Where is Kyle?"
They gave her distasteful looks, but the smaller one shrugged, "Wherever freaks like him go."
They laughed. Thalia rolled her eyes. "Really? Is that your best shot at a joke?"
They stared at her menacingly, but she ignored them and seated herself opposite Cornelius. He discreetly watched her settle in and couldn't deny that she was beautiful—slightly tanned skin, long wavy red hair, light green eyes. The mate bond made him feel drawn to her, and the more he noticed her beauty, the more the hatred inside him grew.
He made a mental note to ask Cassandra how to break the mate bond—at least for him. As for Thalia, he would gladly use her body. He smirked and looked her up and down. She wore faded blue jeans and a maroon sweater. Nothing special, but her firm breasts and the curves beneath the sweater made his imagination stir.
"Seen anything you like around here, Alpha?"
Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The bold way she held his gaze with a raised brow made his blood boil. He imagined pushing the small coffee table aside and strangling her right there. Instead, he rose and said coldly, "Come on boys, we've wasted enough time already."
"Sir, yes sir," Thalia muttered sarcastically. But then, a deep throaty voice answered, and she nearly jumped.
She turned—and froze. Intense coffee-brown eyes with bright gold sprinkles at the centre's met hers. A slightly disheveled mane of hair, the same brilliant color. Looking at him, Thalia had just two words: extraordinarily mesmerizing.
"I'm Kyle," the stranger said in a monotone as he sat in Cornelius' abandoned seat.
Thalia took a moment to collect herself before replying. But before she could speak, he added in the same calm tone, "I take it you're the Luna."
His face remained impartial, and Thalia wondered whether he knew about her rejection.
She nodded. "My assistant said you need our help."
He nodded. She studied him, searching for any hint of why an isolated wolf would call for help. All she saw were eyes too strange to be ignored, pink lips pressed into a line, and a face that refused to betray emotion. Still, his handsomeness couldn't be denied.
"I want to report an impending attack," Kyle said, calmly.
"An attack?" she asked, her voice calm but uncertain. "On who exactly?"
"On all of us," he said simply.
"You mean the pack?" Thalia asked with disbelief evident in her voice
He said nothing more.
"How do you know this?" She pressed on.
Before he could reply, she remembered Casten outside and called out, "Casten, you can come in."
He rushed in and froze for a second when his eyes landed on Kyle, but quickly composed himself.Kyle acknowledged him with a glance, then said to Thalia, "I just feel it. And I know it will happen sooner than we expect."
Casten wanted to ask what they were talking about, but Thalia's grim expression told him it wasn't good. Kyle looked too calm, like he was predicting weather—not doom. Both Casten and Thalia silently wondered how anyone could have hair so golden that it glowed even in shadow.
"Who exactly is going to attack us?" Thalia asked.
Kyle shrugged. "That I'm not sure. But it'll be something more sinister than any of us has faced."
Thalia and Casten exchanged looks.
"I'll go and inform the Alpha right away," Thalia said.
At the mention of Cornelius, Kyle chuckled. "Try making him understand. He never seems to manage that on his own."
Thalia smiled. Casten tried not to. She stood. "I hope we stay in touch until this passes."
"I hope so too, Luna." He replied with the same straight face he had someone managed to keep while dropping the bombshell.
"Please—just Thalia will suffice."
Kyle nodded but said nothing.
Taking that as their cue, she and Casten exited. When they were deep into the woods, Casten finally asked, "Do you think his claim is feasible?"
Thalia kicked a twig aside, then said, "It may or may not be. But we have to play our part. And it wouldn't hurt to be sure."
Casten nodded. "I take it we're headed to the Alpha, then."
"We don't have a choice," Thalia replied calmly.
To lift the mood, Casten said what Thalia had been thinking ever since they left the cabin. "His looks... they were almost—"
"Unearthly," Thalia finished. Casten nodded in agreement.
"I think there's more to him than meets the eye," he said.
"You're right," Thalia said, "but let's save that for later. For now, we have a whole pack to look out for."